Thread: Macson Vice - Jaws needed

My Dawn vice was free but without jaws and I just made some out of mild steel and they have been excellent as they don't mark work anywhere near as badly as hardened steel jaws do.
Extrac grip can be added by slotting the surface with a thin kerf cutting wheel but I have found they grip just as well with flat faces.
When the jaws get too tatty I will just make some new ones.

Thanks Bob

I think that is the path I am going to go down.

Its only for my welding bench so should be right!

Cheers

Matt

Further to what Bob said: Yes, I reckon mild steel jaws have advantages, depending on what you need to hold in your vise. I work with a lot of brass, so I replaced the jaw inserts in my 4" metal vise with aluminium inserts to prevent or reduce marking of semi-finished work. I used to use wood, but the aluminium is better. The soft inserts are not really suitable for some jobs, of course, but I confess I am too lazy (or in too much of a hurry) to change them, most of the time, & they are forced to hold jobs they shouldn't be expected to cope with. They get scruffed-up pretty badly, after some time, but the good news is, they are relatively cheap & quick to replace......

Cheers,

The easiest way around changing the jaws is to install more vices.

I have the 6" mild steel jawed vice on my welding bench, and 2 x 4" vices with hardened steel jaws on my construction table. plus the 3 on my WW bench.